Slidable partition



June 21, 1938. H. H STEVENS. JR

I SLIDABLE PARTITION Filed May 29, 1937 w w a w d, MR4

Patented June 21, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SLIDABLE PARTITION Herbert H. Stevens, Jr., Lynn, Mass. Application May 29, 1937, Serial No. 145,471

6 Claims.

This invention relates to building constructions and more particularly to a movable wall structure for dividing space in any building, such as a dwelling, oflice building, or factory, and may in fact be used to divide space horizontally as well as vertically.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a movable wall structure which may be quickly and conveniently moved into a position to divide a space, such as a floor space and form a neat appearing continuous wall. The wall structure may be made of any suitable material, metal, wood, glass or otherwise, and may be painted, decorated, or even insulated, as desired. My construction is particularly adaptable to modern dwellings in providing great flexibility of floor space and of room arrangement, and the wall structure may be kept out of the way in attractive magazines when not in use. Thus additional rooms may be provided, and the size of existing rooms changed, as desired, at very little expense and effort.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of a building having a wall structure embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 1;

' Fig. 3 is a sectional detail'plan view of an auxiliary locking device which may be used on the structure shown in Fig. 1; 1

Figs. 4 and 5 are fragmentary perspective views of a portion of a structure of modified form embodying the invention; and r Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of another modified construction embodying the invention, having double panels.

Before explaining in detail the present invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawing, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, and it is not intended to limit the invention claimed herein beyond the requirements of the prior art.

In Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawing there is illustrated a floor III of a room arranged to be sub-divided by a movable wall structure embodying the invention. A magazine I I extends vertically from the floor I0 and is defined by a lower substantially rectangular frame I2 and an upper substantially rectangular frame I3. The lower frame I2 is preferably imbedded in and substantiallyflush with the surface of the floor II], but I may be disposed on top of the floor, if desired. Magazine I I may also be journaled in the floor and ceiling to pivot in any direction, with corresponding channels or guideways for the wall panels. Likewise magazine II may be made movable laterally in any direction to enlarge or decrease room size, by the use of suitable fastenings. The upper frame I3 is suitably secured to the ceiling (not shown) of the room. The lowerframe I2 is provided with a groove or passage I6 communicating with a guideway or channel I1, the upper edges of which are provided with outwardly turned flanges I8 lying flush with and secured to the floor II] by fasteners I9. The upper frame I3 is provided with a groove or passage 20 communicating with a guideway 2| formed by spaced guide members 22. v

The magazine II is adapted to receive a plurality of panels arranged in parallel relation. A pair of coil springs 26 are secured at one end to the back of each of the upper and lower magazine frames I2 and I3. The other ends of each pair of springs 26 engage and urge a presser foot 2'! toward the panels 25 and maintain one of the latter in a position in alinement with the 00- operating guideways I1 and 2|.

Preferably the adjacent edges of adjacent panels are provided with stepped cam-like portions or notches 30 adapted to lap and cooperate to lock adjacent panels together. These notches 30 may be of any desirable shape. A number of variations are shown at 30a in Fig. 6. It is only necessary that they form a sloping surface which will unlock when the panels are telescoped or pushed together, and will look when the panels are pulled out or extended longitudinally. One

* magazine II may be used, the panels in which may extend entirely across a room, to be suitably fastened as by a spring-pressed catch to the wall on the opposite side, or two magazines II may be used if a large space is to be divided, the panels of which will be extended toward each other in a straight line and meet, and be suitably fastened. Or a second magazine may be used the panels of which will extend in a different direction, so that two sets of panels will meet, as at right angles. This latter arrangement is shown in Fig. 1, except that the second magazine is itself not illustrated.

In Fig. 1 the second structure provided has a.

undesirableto a'llowthe guideways- ||and- 2| and .1 panel.

channel l1 and a guideway 2| intersecting the channel I1 and guideway 2| respectively. The channel l1 and guideway 2| lead from a magazine similar to the magazine II and adapted to receive a plurality of panels 25 which are normally urged toward a position in alinement with the cooperating guideways l1 and 2|.

If desired, and when so firm a structure is not necessary guideways l1 and 2| may be eliminated, so long as other suitable lockingmeans are provided for preventing the panels 25 from falling apart, in addition to notches 3EI.

When it is desired to subdivide the room, the panels 25 are successively withdrawn fromthe magazine along the cooperating guideways 'l'l and 2| to provide a wall structure extending the entire length of the guideways. As'each panel 25 is moved along the guidew'ays from the niagazine H, the next adjacent panel 25 in the magazine is urged by the springs 25 towardaiposition -in-alinement *with" the cooperating guideways.

Consequently, as the stepped cam-likeportions'30 1 on adjacent "edges of adjacent panels -approach one-another they-are-urgedinto cooperative relation' so as to lock theadjacent panels'together as -illustrated-in Fig. 1. 'In asimilar manner the panels 25 are 'moved along the cooperating guideways |'|-and 2| to their locations-in the desired wall structure.

in detail in Fig. 2 havingstepped eam-like sur- A locking strip 3| shown faces adapted to cooperateand interengagewith the stepped cam-like edge portions 30 and 3||'-on the corner panels 25 and 25' is fitted-into the intersection of the guideways- 2| and 2| and the intersection ofthe guideways I1 and HT so as to extendbetween the twointersections and form 'a corner of the Wall structure.

In Fig. 3; I have shown an auxiliary locking device, which may be used, if desired,- -for preventing the-sectionsfrom separating when'"it is notches 30 to perform this function alone.

-If desired, alatch 35 may be slidably mounted in one edge of each of the panels 25 and adapted to engage a recess 36 in the edge of 'anadjacent The latch member 35-is adapted to be engaged by'the end'of a flexible dog 3'! so as to move the latch-- 35 into the recess and-lockthe-ad- 'ja'cent panels together. When the panels-25 are moved along the cooperating'guideways I! and 2| toward the magazine II, the flexible dog31 engages the latch member 35 andwwithdraws it from the recess 36. I have shown-this'auxiliary lockingdeviceof Fig. 3, asapplied to Fig.- 1, in

dotted lines thereon, at 32.

'As each-panel-25- is returned to'the magazine the springs 26 tend to'maintainit in alinement -with the cooperating guideways and-2| bythe presser' feet 21.

The cam-like portion 3'0 on the edge of a panel in themagazine adjacent the magazine and urge the' first panel-toward the'back' of the magazine.

If desired, the upper andlower edges of the panels 25 may be provided with a roller structure for supporting and guiding the panels -in their movement in and into'and'out of the magazine Thus; as illustrated in li'igs. 4 and 5;the .up-

."per and lower edges of the panel 25 may be; provided with spa'cedrollers"'40"mounted to rotate about a vertical axis and ada'pt'ed to engage the 'w side wallsof the channel '1 For guide-ways 2 and.

absorb lateral thrust upon the panel. A pair of spaced rollers 4| are mounted adjacent each face of the panel to rotate about an axis perpendicular to the face of the panel and adapted to engage the outwardly turned flanges I8 on the guide channels I! or the lower edges of the members 22. A pair of rollers 42 are mounted to rotate about a horizontal axis parallel to the general plane of the panel and adapted toengage the bottom or topof the magazine 1 In Fig. 6 there'is illustrated a structure adapted to provide a movable double wall structure. This structure comprises a pair of guide-ways and. 5| at the floor and ceiling adapted to guide panels 52, constructed similar to the panels 25,

into. and outof magazines and 56 respectively andpositioned in opposed relation and each constructed similar to the magazine II.

In this modification the outer edges of the outer panels are finished by a strip 51 having one vertical edge 58 square and the other vertical edge shaped to 'fit the-stepped-cam-like portion :59 so'that the strip may be secured to the panel 'as-by. pins 6|].

It-will then be seen that by meansof my construction I have provided a movable wall structure of-.great-fiexibility and practicality in dividing roomspaces, which-will form a firm and .permanent structure when desired, and may be :stored out of the way when not in use.

'made of any-desired material, and capable of receiving any desired decorative treatment, it may be used in-any type of building, for any space dividing purpose.

I claim: 1. A movable wall structure comprising a plurality of panels, a-magazine adapted to receive said panels, means for guiding said panels from said magazine to their locations in said wall structure, means for moving said panels in said maga- 1 zine into alignment with. said guiding means while maintaining said panels in parallel positions, means operative to move said panels out of -alinement and into parallel positions in said magazine as saidpanelsenter said magazines, and; means for operatively connecting adjacent panels together, so that the movement of one panel in said guiding means away -from saidmagazine will cause another panel to be moved-out of said magazine. r

--2. A movable wall structure comprising a plurality of panels, -a magazine adapteda-to receive said panels, means for guiding said panels from said magazine totheir locations in said wall structure-,--means'formoving said panels in said mag-.1 azine intoalignmentswith said guiding means,

means atadjacent-edges of said panels operative as each panel is moved into'alignment-with said guiding means to interlock with an adjacent panel. 4'

=3. A movable wall structure comprising aplurality of panels, a magazine adapted to receive said PSJIEISyIIlBQIlS for-guiding said panels from said magazine to their locations. in .said wall structura means for moving saidv panels in said;

magazine into alignment withsaid guiding means,

-means in each paneloperative as each panel is -moved in-said magazine into and out of alignment with-said guiding means'to lock said panel with'and unlock'it from anadjacent panel re-i spectively,-and means independent of each panel --operative a panel:moves along said guiding means from and'toward said magazine for look- I ingand unlocking adjacent panels respectively.

A movable wall structure comprisinga plurality of panels, a magazine adapted to receive said panels, means for guiding said panels from said magazine to their locations in said wall structure, means for moving said panels in said magazine into alignment with said guiding means, and means operative as a panel moves along said guiding means from and toward said magazine for independently locking and unlocking adjacent panels respectively.

5. A movable wall structure comprising a plurality of panels, a magazine adapted to receive said panels, means for guiding said panels from said magazine edge to edge to their locations in said wall structure, and means for moving said panels in said magazine in a direction perpendicular to their faces and into alignment with said guiding means, the adjacent panels having stepped cam-like portions adapted to overlap and cooperate to lock adjacent panels together as a panel is moved along said guiding means out of said magazine and an adjacent panel is moved in said magazine toward its position in alignment with said guiding means.

6. A movable wall structure comprising a plurality' of panels, a magazine adapted to receive said panels, means for guiding said panels from said magazine edge to edge to their locations in said wall structure, and means for moving said ular to their faces and into alignment with said guiding means, the adjacent panels having stepped cam-like portions adapted to overlap and cooperate to lock adjacent panels together as a panel is moved along said guiding means out of said magazine and an adjacent panel is moved in said magazine toward its position in alignment with said guiding means, and an edge strip having a stepped cam-like portion adapted to cooperate with the stepped cam-like portion of a panel to provide the end portion of a wall.

HERBERT H. STEVENS, JR.

, panels in said magazine in a direction perpendic- 

